Jerry Seinfeld’s Three Rules of Life

I’m a big fan of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his legendary show Seinfeld is still my all-time favourite television series.

My favourite episodes include the Pony Remark, the Puffy Shirt, the Serenity Now and of course the iconic Soup Nazi, but to me even the worst of Seinfeld beats the best of almost any other show on TV today.

His unique ability to find humour by simply observing everyday life has turned him into a great communicator who can relate to most people.

A few years ago he was asked to give the commencement speech at a New York school, so he sat down with a pen and paper and wrote down his three rules of life.

It’s a great list that gives some terrific insights as to how he’s become such a great success story.

Here are Jerry Seinfeld’s three rules of life:

Bust your ass – Or to put it nicely, work really, really hard. I’ve written about Jerry’s work ethic before in this post and it’s certainly a principle that he puts into action.

I’m not necessarily talking about working longer hours, I mean maximising the time that you have. I mean taking advantage of every opportunity that you can to expand your influence and be exceptional.

Frankly, nothing bad can come from working diligently. In a world where so many people are looking to take shortcuts, hard work is a differentiator that will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Pay attention – By this he means to be aware of what’s going on around you. The opportunities to make connections, the funny moments, the people who need what you have to offer.

Don’t just let life go by, oblivious to the rest of the world. By paying attention, you give yourself the chance to learn and absorb information that could be helpful one day. Jerry also encourages us to ask lots of questions, especially of those who are experts in their fields or in positions of influence.

Fall in love – This isn’t about finding that special someone (although I recommend that too). This is about being passionate about what you do and appreciating what you have.

Fall in love with your job.

Fall in love with your hobbies.

Fall in love with a great cup of coffee or a beautiful springtime day.

Fall in love with life and enjoy every moment.

According to Jerry (and I suspect he’s right), life’s just more enjoyable when you appreciate the good in things and are willing to share what you enjoy with others.

They’re three simple rules; Work really hard, pay attention and fall in love.

It’s not rocket science, but they are great principles to keep in mind as you go about your day.

Thanks Jerry for sharing them and thanks for entertaining us so effectively over the years.

Which rule do you like the most and what’s your favourite Seinfeld episode?

Soup Nazi is a great episode as well as the one where he can’t remember his girlsfriends name (but knows that it rhymes with a female part)…. the rule I like the most is pay attention because so many people go through life without really seeing the wonder.

I am not a Seinfeld watcher. cringe. Not because I don’t like him or don’t think I would like him, but because I don’t get to watch tv much. That said, I like the 3 rules of life! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

All excellent…but really only the last one counts, because if you ARE passionate about something(s) you WILL put everything you’ve got into it, and you WILL ask questions because you will want to know so much more than you can ever find out…you will want to know EVERYTHING! You will do whatever it takes to realize the dream come true of your passion, whether it be a career, hobby, person, cause…

Thanks so much for sharing this. Great advice. Have you read: “The Outliers”? It brings up the 10,000 hour rule and how hard work is more important than talent.
I miss Sinfield and I can’t really remember the names of episodes as such but I do remember a great quote from Elaine where someone’s think she’s had implants and she says: “they’re real and they’re spectacular.” xx Rowena